The Pretty Slytherin
by Elliot Pole
Summary: Crabbe is dating a new girl at Hogwarts, Ruthie Camden. Then Hermione gets the idea to try to get Ruthie and Harry together.
1. Chapter 1

**The Pretty Slytherin**

**Chapter One**

"Who's that girl with Crabbe?" Hermione said, craning her neck to get a good look.

They were in the ballroom at Hogwarts. Well, the Great Hall, which was the ballroom when the House tables were pushed against a wall, as they were now.

"Never seen her before," Ron said.

Harry didn't know why they cared about who was dating Crabbe. Draco's goons were the enemy. Of course, it was more believable that someone would be dating Crabbe more than Goyle.

It was their sixth year. Harry was hung over Ginny, but he couldn't bring himself to tell Ron. Dating a best friend's sister just wouldn't feel right without having the approval of his best friend.

His last girlfriend had been Cho Change. They fell apart after she refused to agree with him about Marietta Edgecombe's treachery.

His mood was not helped by the fact that Hermione and Ron were now dating, but he, Harry, was alone. Ginny was with Dean. Cho, if she even still liked him, was with Roger Davies. And now Draco's goon was dating a pretty girl who of course would have no interest in him, Harry. If she was dating Crabbe, she probably hated all the kinds of people Harry liked. Hermione, because she was Muggle-born, Ron, because he was a blood traitor, Lupin, because he was a werewolf. No way did Harry want a relationship with a girl like that.

Luna came over and started talking about the Ratfang Conspiracy. Harry excused himself and went near the refreshments table, thinking he might drown himself in pumpkin juice.

Lavender was already downing the pumpkin juice. And cherry tarts. And chocolate frogs.

"Harry, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot," he said, pouring himself some juice.

"Did Ron break up with me just to be with Hermione?"

"I'm not sure I should answer that question."

"He did, didn't he?"

"Probably, but…maybe you should discuss it with him."

"I can't discuss it with him because he's always with Hermione!"

"Well, they are dating."

"And no one wants me." Her eyes flickered, threatening tears.

"Someone will want you," Harry said.

"But I want Ron."

"Love is complicated," Harry said, taking a sip of his drink.

"Ron's looking this way," Lavender said. She peered into Harry's eyes, then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

If Harry had thought that having to confront his best mate with the idea of dating his sister was the worst thing in the world, he was wrong. The worst thing in the world was telling your best mate that you liked how his ex-girlfriend kissed.

Lavender disappeared in the crowd, and Ron came over. "What the hell were you doing?" Ron asked.

"She came on to me," Harry said.

"Lavender…wouldn't do that. She's not that type."

"I think she probably is," said Harry. "Or maybe she just wants to make you jealous, since you're with Hermione now."

"Jealous? Of you and Lavender? Ha! I'd be happy to see her with someone, anyone, else, other than me."

"Well,l I'm not dating her, all right?" Harry said. "It was just a kiss. She came on to me. Nothing is going on between us. Nothing is ever going to go on between us."

"You might want to tell her that before she sends you an engraved necklace with your nickname, 'Har-Har', on it."

Ron walked away from Harry, leaving him to his pumpkin juice. After a while of watching people dance, he went over to ask Luna. At least she would know they were just doing it as friends. Lavender would probably make out with him like crazy if he asked her, and he wasn't up to that right now. And anyway, he needed someone from outside his House near him. Someone in Cho's House.

Luna accepted and they danced a couple of numbers together. Looking into her eyes, Harry knew that no romance could ever exist between them. Even the idea was laughable. Besides, he had a thing for red-heads right now. Well, one red-head anyway. Unfortunately, Ginny was off limits.

Crabbe's girlfriend's leg brushed against Harry's by accident while he was dancing with Luna. Both Harry and Crabbe's girlfriend ignored each other. Harry had felt a jolt rush up his leg, not knowing what it was. He was sure Crabbe's girlfriend didn't feel any such thing, just the natural feeling from having your leg bump into someone else's. It was nothing. She was pretty, but Harry knew that Death Eaters could look good, but that didn't change their evil interior. Voldemort himself was once very handsome. But now he was in need of rhinoplasty and looked like he was on death's door. Perhaps Crabbe's girlfriend would be a future Death Eater. It would not suit him to be with her.

Why was he even thinking about her? He didn't know her. A brush on the leg didn't mean anything. Sure, her leg was bare, her dress robes ending in a skirt whose end came above the knees, but Harry's bottle-green dress robes covered his own legs.

He had felt her skin. He glanced over at her hands. They were smooth and beautiful, with teal nail polish.

A flash of desire to steal some Amortentia from Slughorn's office and feed it to Crabbe's girlfriend entered his mind. He shook his head. He couldn't do that. That was cheating. And that had led to Voldemort's birth, as Dumbledore had been showing him that year. Did he want to father another Voldemort?

But none of his children would be fatherless. Unless he was killed, of course. But it wouldn't be by choice. Maybe if he fell in love with this girl, they could have a beautiful life together.

Deciding that he might as well punish himself for sick thoughts like that the way Dobby punished himself for disobeying orders, Harry asked a fifth-year Hufflepuff with size eleven feet to dance with him. She kept stepping on his feet and it hurt every time, never as bad as his scar could hurt, but certainly terrible. But he deserved it for wanting Crabbe's girlfriend and plotting to steal her by ulterior motives that would make them both unhappy in the end…

Who knew that love could be so painful? Emotionally. The physical stuff Harry could deal with, but the emotional part drove him crazy.

After finally getting away from the Hufflepuff with large feet, Harry decided then and there that he would never date or dance with a girl again. That would make everything easier.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Pretty Slytherin**

**Chapter Two**

Hermione approached the refreshments table, where Crabbe's date was stading alone.

"I know you. You're the leader of the organization know as the D.A., right?"

"Yes, that's me. Well, Harry, taught us the classes, but I guess I convinced him to teach us, so in a way..no, he's the leader."

"But you put a spell on the parchment that caused that Edgecombe girl's face to become covered in spots, so I just assumed…"

"Yes, I did, but Harry was the leader."

"I guess he was. I heard that the Inquisitorial Squad caught a few of you once. My boyfriend was part of the Inquisitorial Squad."

"You're dating Crabbe, right?"

"I prefer to call him 'Vincent.' But yes. Why do you ask? You're not jealous, are you?"

"J-jealous? Of you with Crabbe? That's insane."

"No. Because I spend a lot of time with Draco, as Draco is a friend of Vincent's. You two do have some history together, right?"

Hermione sighed. "Yes, we have some history together, but no one is really supposed to know about that."

"Okay, I'll keep my voice down. I love hearing about how you and him and how you were covered in pancake batter once and he licked it off you…"

"Shhh!" Hermione said, putting her finger to her lips. "No one knows about that."

"Except for Draco, Vincent, and the other disgusting one whose name I can't bring myself to say."

"Look, I don't know who you are. We've never seen you around before," Hermione said.

"My name is Ruthie Camden. I just started this year. I was homeschooled before I came here. Mom and Dad thought it'd be best for the family to learn magic in our manor. And besides, you're in Gryffindor, and I'm in Slytherin," Ruthie said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, right. We wouldn't know anyone from there."

Hermione and Ruthie both looked down at the ground for a moment, before the former asked, "You're not in Pansy Parkinso's gang, are you?"

"Pansy? Ick, no. She looks like a pug. I even tried to talk that pretty girl—Daphne Greengrass—out of being part of her gang, but she wouldn't listen to me."

"Good. I just didn't want to assume that all Slytherin girls think alike."

"But you _do _assume that, Hermione," Ruthie said. "Just because we're all purebloods doesn't mean we're all anti-Muggle or anything."

You're dating Vincent Crabbe," Hermione said. "His father is one of the biggest anti-Muggle born people around."

"She means that literally," Ron said, coming over. "He's the thickest Death Eater I've ever seen, for sure."

"Guys, you don't get it. Vincent is a good guy. Deep down, all right? He's a sensitive, romantic soul." Ruthie's eyes sparkled. "Only the loss of the love of his life could drive him off the edge."

"and you believe _you _are the love of his life?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," said Ruthie. "I am." She stared Hermione down, and Hermione stared back. Then Ruthie stormed off.

Cho walked by but when she saw Hermione at the refreshment table, she dashed away.

"You know, I don't like seeing Harry alone," Hermione said, biting her nails.

There was a pause before Ron said, "Neither do I."

"They were staring at each other like a couple of vultures," Ron said.

"I don't too much care what's going on with the girl Crabbe is dating, thanks."

"I think Hermione likes her. Or doesn't like her. Or something. Anyway, I'm afraid that she might invite her to hang out with us."

"Why would she do that?" Harry asked.

"To get you to recover from Cho and your…splitting up. Over that Miss Spotty."

"I don't need Hermione to set me up with anyone. Especially someone who is Crabbe's leftovers."

"Hermione just thinks that since it's been a year since Cho and you fell apart, that you could use some female company."

"Not with a Slytherin girl."

"Why not?"

"They hate Muggle-born wizards, for one thing. And blood traitors, too."

"Hermione thinks it's time that we put all our hate behind us and focus on some inter-House bonding."

"We can do that with Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws," Harry said,, standing up and pacing. "Slytherins hate the other three houses. Just because she's pretty doesn't mean she's any different."

"Well, you can let Hermione introduce you two or you can choose not to do so."

"What would you advise?"

"Look, I'm not the best person to turn to for advice," Ron said. "But I suggest letting Hermione at least introduce you two. She really cares about you, you know. In a brotherly sort of way."

The "brotherly" thing was Harry's issue. Not with Hermione, no. Never with her. She was like a sister to him. That was certain. But Ron had to protect his actual, living, blood sister, Ginny, from Harry, when her hair and her perfume and the way she flew around the goalposts on the Quidditch pitch…Harry loved her. He did not see how a Slytherin girl could change that. She couldn't. Could she?


End file.
